Hercules to the Rescue At Voisey Nickel Mine

Mid-September, Noah Hawes and Barry Young from the Inspections Department of Hercules SLR Dartmouth, ventured to the isolated Nickel Mine of Voisey Bay in Labrador Newfoundland where in 1993, a large nickel deposit was discovered in the hills along the western shore of Potato Island by Archean Inc. a prospecting firm hired by Diamond Fields Resources Inc.

This nickel deposit is considered to be one of the most substantial mineral discoveries in Canada in the last 40 years and is estimated to contain 141 million tonnes at 1.6% nickel. Surface mining began in Voisey Bay in 2005 to access the nickel deposit. Currently, the mining rights for the Voisey Bay nickel deposit belong to the Toronto-headquartered Vale Inco company, a subsidiary of Vale. The bulk carrier ship Umiak I was built to transport ore from the mine.

On June 11, 2018, Vale announced it is moving forward with its underground mine at Voisey Bay. The move will extend the mine’s operating life by at least 15 years. Over the five-year construction, more than 16,000 person-years of employment will be created, and the first ore is expected no later than April 2021.

Noah and Barry’s task at the Voisey mine was to replace the end post for 3M’s recent roof lifelines recall. There was an element of apprehension as this was the first time they had undertaken a job of this type that was so remote and far away.

“We didn’t know what the job would entail, how complex the job would be, and what weather conditions we may be faced with”.

However, any concerns they had were completely unfounded as they accomplished the job without any issues or complications. They did such a great job in fact, that Vale are now talking about Hercules annually re-certifying all their lifelines.

The Hercules Inspections department are the best in the business and widely regarded as industry experts in their field. We ensure that all our inspectors are trained to an exceptionally high standard. Currently we are expanding our inspector training nationally to include LEEA (The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association) certification.

We believe in going that extra mile. We will travel great distances to help our customers and get the job done. We cultivate customer relationships through innovation, expertise and innovation.

Great job Noah and Barry!!

Hercules SLR is part of the Hercules Group of Companies which offers a unique portfolio of businesses nationally with locations from coast to coast. Our companies provide an extensive coverage of products and services that support the success of a wide range of business sectors across Canada including the energy, oil & gas, manufacturing, construction, aerospace, infrastructure, utilities, oil and gas, mining and marine industries.

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